Vote up the points you agree with and vote down the points you think are pure hogwash.
When it comes to the many versions of Ross Geller from Friends, everyone has a favorite. However, no one likes Papa Ross because honestly, he's a terrible father. Aside from the creepy Ross moments, the dude had some serious flaws that were simply overlooked by many people. One of the biggest things was the fact that Ross Geller is a deadbeat dad.Â
And he somehow got away with it. Fans were mainly focused on all his relationship drama with Rachel during the show’s initial run. It was easy to overlook all the reasons why Ross on Friends is a terrible father. But if you re-watch the series now, it's obvious that the paleontologist is an absentee parent at best. In fact, one of the most popular Friends fan theories is about Ross losing custody of Ben to explain the boy’s sudden departure from the series. Once Emma comes along, Ross pretty much abandons the idea of developing a fulfilling relationship with his son.
There are several arguments for why Ross Geller is a bad dad. If you're having a hard time recalling his parenting skills and qualities throughout the episodes of Friends, check out the reasons below. Vote up the strongest explanations for why Ross is a huge failure as a father.Â
1
469 VOTES
He Is Suspiciously Okay With His Daughter Moving To Paris
When Rachel announces her plans to take a job in Paris, Ross is significantly more concerned with losing Rachel than Emma. You will no longer see your daughter on a regular basis, Ross. For a loving parent, that’s way worse than missing out on a potential lobster. Just saying.
While Ross was initially portrayed as a loving and attentive father, in later seasons, his relationship with his son becomes nonexistent - especially after Emma’s birth. Viewers never get to even see Ben interact with his little sister. For all his talk about missing so much from Ben’s childhood, Ross no longer seems willing to make room in his life for his son. Ugh.
When Ross gets married to Emily in London, everyone is invited. Phoebe can’t fly due to her pregnancy, but all his other friends are there. His parents are there. You know who’s missing? Ben. Why wouldn’t Ross want his little boy to attend the ceremony? It remains a mystery to this very day.
412 votes
4
407 VOTES
He Fires A Perfectly Good Male Nanny For No Logical Reason
Sandy is a loving and dedicated male nanny. And yet, Ross fires him just because he is uncomfortable with Sandy’s sensitivity. Who cares what’s best for Emma, Ross? Make sure to always put yourself first.
407 votes
5
380 VOTES
He Gets Ridiculously Insecure When Ben Plays With A Doll
When Ross finds out his son likes to play with a Barbie, he gets all hot and bothered. Not only that, but he does everything he can to push the boy to play with a G.I. Joe action figure instead. Liking a Barbie is no big deal, Ross. Get over yourself.
380 votes
6
324 VOTES
He Uses Ben To Score Dates And Make Rachel Jealous
Playdates are common. Too bad Ross mostly uses them to make Rachel jealous. First, he arranges a playdate between Ben and a stripper’s kid after becoming fed up with Rachel and Mark’s friendship. Later, he meets a single mom he gets along with and throws that into Rachel’s face, again to make her jealous. Turns out, the woman only wanted someone to look after her kid while she goes on a date. Karma.
